With apologies, I thought I'd post this; it is something I wrote many years ago, updated for 2010. I think sometimes we forget what a simple train ride means to the first time visitor.
Trading seats: a comforting pastime
Along the Colorado-New Mexico state line tourists and rail fans begin their annual pilgrimage. In the tiny towns of Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico they arrive at the rail yard after breakfast, pick up train tickets from friendly agents, identify the location of their seats on one of the coaches or in the well-appointed parlor car, and then begin to wander back through time.
Mothers watch their children carefully, and avert eyes from those who peer into machinery seemingly designed to pinch, grab, and tear. But for some, the hot, smoky, oil and water coated steam locomotive is a gold mine of history and engineering trivia. The engine is a pulsing living beast, fire in its belly, coal ash filled smoke flying skyward to drift down upon the yard and surrounding community. Steam is escaping from a half dozen points, all working parts of the engine. The air compressor responsible for safe braking, the whistle destined to call out to trainmen and passenger alike, lubricating devices dripping oil into cylinders, bushings, and pumps, and the ancient turbine generator spinning furiously to provide the needed electrical power for lights that have been shining on the rails of this line since 1881. For many, the steam engine draws them in the same way as a tricked out concept car at a modern car show.
At the shrill of the whistle and the boarding call offered in the time-honored way, passengers board the train in the cool morning air and move to their seats. On this historic train, the whistle signaling the trip’s beginning, the thump of the couplers and squeak of the steel wheels as the train departs all call out to riders in the same symphony that has haunted the American West for generations.
As the conductor punches your ticket, he helpfully gives instructions to each family: “You are free to move about the train, but children must be accompanied from car-to-car for safety reasons. When in your seat, keep your entire body inside the train at all times. A snack car is located mid-train and an open gondola is located at the rear of the train. Remember to watch your children, and enjoy your ride.” As the conductor passes on, experienced riders jump out of their seats leaving first time riders wondering what they missed in the conductor’s speech. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that the real action is out on the platform on each end of the coach. The platforms and open gondola quickly fill with riders enjoying the sights and sounds of the past.
With a timely stop for lunch in tiny Osier Colorado, riders have a chance to stretch their legs, examine a historic section house, station, and water tank. Diners have a chance to celebrate with great food prepared fresh onsite, including superb high altitude baked goods. Osier also gives riders the opportunity to switch trains and travel on to the opposite end of the line, or return to their starting point. While an up-and-back trip to Osier makes travel simple, you miss half the scenery and half the fun. In either case, don’t be late boarding the train after lunch or you’ll be spending the night in Osier – a town so far from civilization that cell phones don’t work, and the only electricity is from the generator of the Osier dining hall.
As the train travels through sagebrush, pine and fir forests, and magnificent aspens in the San Juan Mountains, passengers are drawn by the call of other riders as they see wildlife, magnificent mountain vistas, and breath-taking drops into the Toltec Gorge. Over the course of the ride, complete strangers become comfortable companions trading stories as quickly as they trade seats. By the end of the day, kids and adults alike often settle into a nearby seat and dream of how they might have dealt with life on the Denver & Rio Grande of the 1880’s: would they strike it rich in Silverton, build a lumber empire along the River of the Pines, or would they meet the love of their life in a village along the narrow gauge?
Originally built by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway as a vital link to the San Juan mining areas in Southwestern Colorado, today 64 miles of the line from Antonito, Colorado to Chama, New Mexico operate as the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. One of the finest remaining historic railroads in the world, the C&TS is unique in many respects.
C&TS trains are powered by historic steam locomotives that were originally built for service on the D&RG line. The group of K-36 Mikado locomotives that are pulling today’s trains were built in 1925. Other locomotives in the yard were built as early as 1903 and have pulled presidents, royalty, movie stars, and hundreds of thousands of tourists.
Another defining aspect of the C&TS, the track is narrow gauge with rails only three feet apart. Traditional standard gauge track has rails that are four feet eight and ½ inches apart. In the mountains of North America, narrow gauge allowed railroads to negotiate the sharp turns required to allow trains to avoid steep climbs and descents. The C&TS offers many opportunities to see an entire train sweeping around a sharp bend with people in adjacent cars waving to each other in recognition of their grand adventure.
C&TS trains travel over some of the best high mountain scenery offered by any railroad in the world. Advertised in the 1880’s as the Toltec Gorge Route, the C&TS crosses high sage-brush flats in the San Luis Valley on the east, moving into pine and aspen forests, through tunnels, creeping along the Toltec Gorge, over tall bridges, and across one of America’s highest railroad passes, the Cumbres Pass at 10015 feet. It is from these two geologic features that the line gets its classic name. In the San Juan’s, the potential to see snow is part of every ride. Along with a nearly text book exposure to mountain plant life, the rider will have opportunities to see almost every large Rock Mountain Mammal, magnificent eagles and raptors, along with dozens of small mammals.
Finally, the line offers a real glimpse into the history of American railroading. The C&TS is graced with hand-fired steam locomotives, a significant collection of freight cars from the 1880’s to the 1960’s, and magnificent trackside facilities lovingly maintained by a world-wide group of volunteers called the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec. It’s easy to step into the C&TS world and duplicate the sights and sounds of several generations of railroaders. The western terminus of Chama is still visibly a railroad town, and camera buffs often take the time to duplicate pictures taken by the greats of American photography.
If you are looking for something different the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad provides a great opportunity to mix education, history, scenery, and just plain fun in a single trip. In years past, European royalty shared the ride with Navajo sheep herders and New Englanders on their honeymoon as they traveled one of the scenic wonders of the world. Today, riders still bump elbows with politicians, entertainers, and newlyweds, as well as learning about the people of the Rio Grande from third generation railroaders.
Experienced docents welcome families, groups, and rail fans alike in the rail yards and on each train to ensure that your time on the C&TS is enjoyable and educational. We suggest arriving at least an hour before departure, giving you time to pick up your tickets, find your seats, enjoy the static exhibits, working shops, examine your train, and get to know your fellow passengers.
This year do something different and RIDE THE RIO GRANDE with the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. The C&TS is in its 40th season of operation as a tourist railroad. The 2010 season will start on Saturday, May 22. Trains will run every day of the week through Sunday, October 17. Tickets for the 2010 season can be purchased online via our secure web site (http://cumbrestoltec.com), or by calling 1-888-CUMBRES (1-888-286-2737).
